How to Make Windows 11 Faster: 18 Tweaks That Actually Work (2026)

Guides & TutorialsMay 26, 20266 min readBy CM Editorial

Windows 11 is fast on modern hardware, but it ships configured for Microsoft priorities — telemetry, advertising, cloud sync — not your performance. Apply these 18 tweaks in order and you will reclaim 15-30% of your hardware potential. All free, all reversible, no third-party “optimizer” garbage.

1. Disable Startup Bloat

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and click the Startup apps tab. Disable everything you do not actively need at boot. Common culprits: Spotify, Discord, Steam, OneDrive, manufacturer “assistants” (Lenovo Vantage, ASUS Armoury Crate, etc).

2. Switch to High Performance Power Plan

Press Win+R, type powercfg.cpl, and select “High performance” or “Ultimate Performance”. On laptops this hurts battery, but for desktops it eliminates aggressive CPU downclocking that causes micro-stutters.

3. Turn Off Visual Effects

Win+R, type SystemPropertiesAdvanced, click Settings under Performance. Select “Adjust for best performance”, then re-enable just three things: “Smooth edges of screen fonts”, “Show thumbnails instead of icons”, and “Show window contents while dragging”.

4. Disable Background Apps

Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Click the three dots next to each app → Advanced options → set “Background apps permissions” to “Never”. Do this for every app you do not actively need running in the background.

5. Kill Telemetry and Tracking

Settings → Privacy & security. Disable: advertising ID, diagnostic data (set to Required only), inking and typing personalization, tailored experiences, app launch tracking, and notification suggestions.

6. Disable Cortana and Web Search

Use Group Policy (Win+R, gpedit.msc) → Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Search → enable “Allow Cortana = Disabled”. Saves significant RAM and prevents random network activity.

7. Move Page File to a Fast Drive

If you have multiple drives, move the page file to your fastest one (typically the boot NVMe). SystemPropertiesAdvanced → Advanced → Performance Settings → Advanced → Virtual memory → Change. Set custom size: initial = your RAM in MB, max = 1.5x your RAM.

8. Disable Storage Sense

Settings → System → Storage. Turn off Storage Sense unless you have very limited disk space. It runs background scans that hammer SSDs.

9. Update Drivers from the Manufacturer (Not Windows Update)

Windows Update gives you generic drivers. Get GPU drivers from NVIDIA/AMD directly. Get chipset and storage drivers from your motherboard vendor. The performance and stability difference is substantial.

10. Disable Game DVR and Game Bar

Settings → Gaming → Captures → turn off “Record what happened”. Also Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar → toggle off. These services add input latency.

11. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Settings → System → Display → Graphics → Change default graphics settings. Toggle on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. Reboot.

12. Disable Transparency Effects

Settings → Personalization → Colors → turn off Transparency effects. The Acrylic blur on taskbar and Start menu uses significant GPU resources.

13. Disable News and Interests / Widgets

Right-click the taskbar → Taskbar settings → toggle off Widgets. The MSN-powered feed consumes 50-150MB of RAM for no benefit.

14. Optimize Drives

Open “Defragment and Optimize Drives” from Start. Make sure SSDs show “Solid state drive” type — Windows will run TRIM instead of defrag automatically.

15. Disable Indexing on Non-System Drives

Right-click each non-system drive → Properties → uncheck “Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed”.

16. Free Up RAM with SysMain Disable

Win+R → services.msc → find “SysMain” → Properties → set to Manual or Disabled. On systems with fast NVMe, this is unnecessary and causes phantom disk usage.

17. Disable Edge Pre-Loading

Open Edge → three dots → Settings → System and performance → toggle off “Startup boost”.

18. Run DISM and SFC Quarterly

Open Terminal as Admin, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then sfc /scannow. These repair the Windows component store.

What Not to Do

Avoid CCleaner, Advanced SystemCare, AVG TuneUp, IObit Driver Booster, WinOptimizer. They cause more problems than they solve. Avoid editing the registry blindly from random forum posts. Avoid “speed up boot by 200%” YouTube tutorials — most “safe to disable” services genuinely are not safe to disable in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this process take?

First-timers should budget 60-90 minutes. Experienced users can complete it in 20-30 minutes.

Do I need any special tools?

A magnetic Phillips screwdriver, an anti-static wrist strap, and good lighting are the essentials.

Will this void my warranty?

For most consumer hardware, basic maintenance does not void warranties — the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in the US prevents that.

What if something goes wrong?

Stop immediately, document the issue with photos, and check our troubleshooting guides. Most issues are reversible if you do not force anything.